Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality

1. Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality HURRICANE IMPACTS ON LDEQ LABORATORY Melvin C. Mitchell, LDEQ Environmental Laboratory Louisiana Water Environmental Association Wednesday, April 18, 2007 – 1:15 PM West Baton Rouge Conference Center, Port Allen, LA

2. DEQ EMERGENCY RESPONSE OPERATIONS: DEQ ER staff manned workspace at the State EOC around the clock even before Katrina came ashore and for several months afterward. Immediately following Katrina’s landfall, an Incident Management Team (IMT) began assembling at DEQ HQ Galvez building. A Unified Command Center (UCC) was established to house and support the IMT. UCC later moved to New Orleans. Working from the UCC were DEQ, and representatives from EPA, TCEQ, COE, USCG, USGS, LDHH, and local government. An IMT and UCC was established at DEQ’s southwest regional office in Lake Charles following Hurricane Rita.

3. RECONNAISSANCE, DAMAGE &ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS ASSESSMENT: Railroad Cars • 2,500 affected by the hurricane • 250 derailed, no leaks Radiation Source Licensees • New Orleans area: 186 locations, 300 visits • Lake Charles area: 72 locations, 83 visits UST:558 inspections Remediation: 222 inspections Tier 2: 170 inspections Total: 950 inspections

4. Petroleum Product Sources in Katrina Flooded Area Note: Does not include over 350,000 flooded vehicles.

5. ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLING AND ASSESSMENT: Floodwater Pumped water Sediment/soils Air Particulates Biological tissues

7. Sample Points in the Lake Pontchartrain and New Orleans Area • LDEQ maintains a network of nearly 700 historical ambient monitoring locations statewide • Of these, 170 were in the 11 parish impacted and 69 were located in proximity to Lake Pontchartrain and New Orleans • 20 historical ambient sites were selected for LDEQ’s post-Katrina evaluation, additional sites were selected as access and need developed • 5 additional sites were established ½ mile off shore from major drainage canals of New Orleans

8. Parameters Analyzed • Metals# • Arsenic* • Cadmium* • Chromium* • Copper* • Lead* • Mercury* • Nickel* • Zinc* • Conventionals, Field • Dissolved Oxygen* • Temperature* • pH* • Salinity • Conductivity • Oil Sheen (presence or absence)* *Has Louisiana water quality standards #All sites analyzed for dissolved metals; two canal sites analyzed for total metals

9. Conventionals, Laboratory Fecal Coliform* Turbidity* Chloride* Sulfate* Total Suspended Solids Total Solids Total Dissolved Solids* Biological Oxygen Demand Parameters Analyzed(continued) • Alkalinity • Nitrate-Nitrite • Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen • Ammonia Nitrogen • Total Phosphorus • Hardness • Chemical Oxygen Demand • Total Organic Carbon • Color* * Has Louisiana water quality standards

10. Organic parameters Analyzed

11. Pesticide Analyses • LDEQ collected water samples for pesticide& PCB analyses • Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) analyzed samples • LDAF and LDEQ coordinated on the interpretation of this information

12. Alachlor (Lasso) Aldrin* Atrazine Bifenthrin Imidacloprid Carbaryl (Sevin) Chlordane* Chlorpyrifos (Dursban) Cypermethrin Diazinon Permethrin Pesticides Analysis by Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry • Dieldrin* • Endosulfin* • Endrin* • Fipronil (and metabolites) • Heptachlor* • Lindane* • Malathion • Metolachlor (Dual) • + about 60 other pesticides… * Has Louisiana water quality standards

13. Magnitude of LDEQ Laboratory Analyses: • Organic compounds – 325 samples (17,227 analytes) • Conventional parameters – 2365 samples (37,840 analytes) • Metals samples – 118 (531 analytes) • Radiation – 65 samples • Air samples – 791(52,206 analytes) • Total samples – 3,584 samples (106,388 analytes)

14. Summation of Hurricane Katrina Assessments • Dissolved oxygen levels were slightly depressed due to high organic loading, woody debris, downed vegetation or resuspended sediments • There were no reports of oil sheen on lake waters • Fecal coliform results were somewhat elevated. • This is normal after heavy rain. • There were no detectable concentrations of organic compounds along the causeway

15. Summation of Hurricane Katrina Assessments (continued) • Some elevated levels of metals were observed (arsenic, cadmium, lead, selenium, zinc), but not high enough to represent an immediate health threat. • • As of October 11th, 8.86 billion cubic feet (4.5%) of floodwater were pumped back into the lake. • Many if not all of the reported fish kills were the result of low DO. • There was one isolated report of oil sheen present on the Tchefuncte River

16. Summation of Hurricane Katrina Assessments (continued) • Floodwater discharge concentrations were compared to historical stormwater discharge monitoring reports (DMRs). Comparison of maximum results revealed very little difference between historical norms and post-Katrina levels • As expected, contamination by petroleum hydrocarbons, particularly in the Murphy Oil spill area. EPA and CDC expressed some • concern for long-term skin contact • No toxicity was observed in tests of fish

17. STORM DEBRIS MANAGEMENT:Storm Debris Quantity Estimates • Hurricane Katrina generated an estimated 22 million tons (55 million cubic yards) of debris. • Hurricane Rita generated an estimated one-half million tons (1 million cubic yards) of debris.

18. LESSONS LEARNED RELATIVE TO THE HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS • Refine hurricane preparedness plans and be ready • Establish 24 hour laboratory analytical capability • Regulatory flexibility is very important to emergency response and recovery • Good communications systems are vital to emergency response and damage assessment

19. LESSONS LEARNED RELATIVE TO THE HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS (continued) • Good communication and cooperation between public and private sector parties enhances preparation for and recovery from natural catastrophes • New remote sensing technologies are great tools for reconnaissance and damage assessment

20. LESSONS LEARNED • AA Labs must maintain a paper copy listing of all accredited laboratories: individual/collective methods & contact info. • Labs must develop procedures to expedite purchase of equipment and procure loaner equipment from vendors. • Labs must identify a single point of contact for contacting vendors to determine if vendor facilities are operational. CAN NOT rely on land lines, cell phones, and e-mail. Alternative direct contact methods must be identified/utilized.

21. LESSONS LEARNED • Labs must have a current list of employee contact information kept in a location known to all of management. • Lab must maintain a reproducible paper copy of lists of all current Demonstrations of Capabilities and all analysts/methods approved for the analyses. • Laboratory must have a single point of contact and 1 or 2 alternates assigned/present at the lab. Single point of contact for process must have a thorough knowledge thereof.

22. LESSONS LEARNED • Adequate stores of required equipment, materials and supplies (ice chest, generators, fans, heaters, etc.) must be kept up to date and means to procured, store, must be available immediately. • Labs must develop a list of key personnel and identified one or two alternates for each position. • Management must be supportive of laboratory personnel and work to ensure a high level of morale during the stressful period.

23. LESSONS LEARNED • Management must insure that the work load is distributed so as not to affect productivity, efficiency and safety within the laboratory. • All samples submitted directly to contract labs must be reported to the LDEQ Lab. Verification documents must be delivered to the LDEQ Lab NLT 24 hours after delivery to contract lab. • Chain-of-custody forms must be completed by the sample collector prior to turn-in at the laboratory. NO SAMPLES WILL BE ACCEPTED WITHOUT A COMPLETE CHAIN OF CUSTODY.

24. LESSONS LEARNED • Labs must have adequate space to segregate samples/prevent cross-contamination • Labs must be able to communicate and coordinate with collectors • Lab must use aseptic sample handling techniques to insure safety and prevent cross-contamination. Management is responsible for providing directions on how samples are to be handled based on the degree of hazard associated with the sample.

25. LESSONS LEARNED • Analytical results must be entered into the LIMS system promptly. • Labs must establish and maintain an 24-hour on-site liaison with LDEQ Emergency Operations staff (s). • Labs must maintain open lines of communications with other State agencies.

26. LESSONS LEARNED • Department must establish a single/mandatory data and sample analysis report format. • Lab must constantly inventory glassware, standards, reagents and gases, and be prepared to expedite order and delivery. • Lab must have established security procedures which can be put into motion before, during and immediately after events.

27. LESSONS LEARNED • Department must assign single data management contact who is knowledgeable of current and emerging data protocols, and capable of coordinating data transfer, consolidation, validation and verification efforts for the entire staff and other outside agencies.

28. www.deq.louisiana.gov